CHICAGO — Chicago Sky fans still might be reeling from Monday’s blockbuster trade of All-Star forward Angel Reese. But the wheel keeps turning in the WNBA.

On Wednesday, the league opened a three-day window for free-agent negotiations, allowing teams to make their first (legal) contact with a slew of talent ranging from former MVPs to crucial bench performers. More than 80% of the league is out of contract because of the collective bargaining negotiations that dominated the offseason and resulted in a new agreement that will increase the salary cap nearly fivefold to $7 million and raise the average salary above $500,000.

The Sky need to strike gold this week. After trading Reese for two future first-round picks, they have only three players under contract: center Kamilla Cardoso, forward Maddy Westbeld and guard Hailey Van Lith. All three are on rookie scale contracts, which gives the Sky plenty of cap space to navigate this new version of WNBA spending.

Here are three priorities for the Sky in free agency:

New star power

The Sky need a star. No one on their current roster, even Cardoso, is remotely close to an All-Star level, barring an astronomic increase in production. And while the Sky need to focus on building out consistency in the aggregate, they also could use a jump start.

The Sky struggled to land superstars in prior years, but the new CBA adds a new weapon to their arsenal: the allure of a maximum contract.

Last season, the league’s maximum salary was just under $215,000. Now a maximum contract would be worth $1.19 million in 2026 — and that number will grow in coming seasons. The low previous ceiling often wasn’t enough to sway top players on the free-agent market; for instance, in 2022 the top-paid player on the Sky roster (Kahleah Copper) made only $65,000 more than the sixth-highest-paid player (Allie Quigley).

All of that changes with the new CBA. The Sky have a lot of work left to repair their reputation among league veterans, but the combination of a new training facility and a max deal could be enough to lure an All-Star-caliber player.

That means the Sky should swing for the fences. Copper and Arike Ogunbowale should hear from the team. A lot. Same with Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. The Sky can’t afford to get caught overspending, but they can afford to be just a little reckless. Pay big bucks to a star who would juice the offense and make this team fun to watch again.

Who comes back?

The Sky extended a core qualifying offer Monday to guard Ariel Atkins, their most important player to potentially retain for 2026. The Sky bet big on Atkins last year, trading away the No. 3 pick in the draft to acquire the veteran as a cornerstone

By utilizing the core qualifying mechanism, the Sky have exclusive rights to negotiate with Atkins, who doesn’t have to accept the one-year, $1.4 million supermax offer. She can negotiate a multiyear deal at a lower salary, or the Sky can use their exclusivity to leverage a sign-and-trade deal with another team.

It would be foolish for the Sky to use the supermax — which represents 20% of the total salary cap — on Atkins, who struggled last season while scoring 13.1 points per game and missing significant time because of injuries. While she still can contribute meaningfully on the perimeter to the Sky (or any other team), signing a ninth-year player who hasn’t made an All-Star team in three years to the biggest deal in the league would be a gross misuse of resources. But that doesn’t mean the Sky can’t retain Atkins on a more reasonable, long-term deal.

The Sky also extended a reserved qualifying offer Monday to Sevgi Uzun, maintaining exclusive negotiating rights with the Turkish guard. Uzun gave a fairly underwhelming showing as a midseason acquisition last year — 3.7 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 turnovers per game while shooting 18.2% from 3-point range over 18 games — but she would be a low-cost acquisition.

Courtney Vandersloot also has been expected to return to the Sky throughout the offseason. The 37-year-old guard faces an uphill battle to return from an ACL tear, but the front office values her veteran presence.

Shooting volume

If the Sky learned anything from last season, it should be the need for a complete offensive overhaul. They averaged the fewest points (75.8) in the league, posting a lousy 97 offensive rating and the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.14).

The Sky also were the worst defensive team in the league, but one of those issues is more easily solved through player acquisitions. They can begin a revamping of their offensive system this week by targeting high-volume shooters and scorers.

The Sky likely will have five players on rookie scale contracts — Cardoso, Westbeld, Van Lith, 2025 draftee Ajša Sivka and whomever they draft with the No. 5 pick — which would give them a bit of wiggle room with the remaining seven roster spots. That means they can make competitive offers to players such as Kayla McBride and Sami Whitcomb who could boost their perimeter shooting.

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